7 Reasons Why to Hire A Wedding Planner

7 Reasons Why to Hire a Planner?

So often brides and grooms think hiring a planner is a luxury suited only for celebrities and those gifted with endless budgets. O how false this idea is. A planner is your symphonies’ conductor, magically orchestrating theme, budget, stress levels and your dream event all into perfect harmony.

From Magazines to Magnificence
So you have thumbed through every magazine on the shelf, and tore out every page of every idea you love. It is a great start, but now what? This is just one of the many magical things a wedding planner can do for you. Together with you and your ideas, she can make masterful setting combining the hodge podge of magazine clippings and internet finds that line your wedding folder. It is here where a planner can be most efficient in finding ways to make the theme of your event come alive and stick to your budget while doing so.

Beware of Budging Budgets
Whether your wedding is $3,000 or $300,000, you need a budget. “A budget will give you perspective and center you.” Beginning your processes with a realistic number and sticking to it is very hard to do when you have a million ideas from Platinum Weddings rolling around in your head, but not a platinum budget. A planner is the key to optimizing your budget to result in the most fabulous event. A budget and a planner will help curb your impulse to randomly purchase items that have no rhyme or reason, and allowing those funds to be better used to create a more ideal experience for your guests. In addition, having an experts’ guidance to show you where your dollar is best spent, is a valuable tool to have in your back pocket. Your planner is a third party personal accountant that can help you make rational decisions to create your dream event, with out putting you or your parents in the poor house.

Inside - Out…of Town
With so many couples that have moved out of town and want to pursue a dream wedding back at home, a wedding planner becomes the essential go between to make sure not a single detail is missed with the long commute. Your planner is your eyes, ears, and legs about town as you plan your wedding from afar. With today’s technology; digital cameras, email and internet, you can plan your wedding from across the country when an experienced planner is at hand. She is armed with all of the knowledge and tools to be able to communicate key information and suggestions to create an exceptional event!

Unique You
Michiana offers so many unique and historical venues rich with tradition and, yes, specific regulations to abide by. A local planner has experiences and longstanding relationships with the venues, and their managers, that will ensure nothing less than a smooth event for you. From the majestic Basilica, and the rich tradition of the Campus of Notre Dame to the Historical Oliver Gardens and the Vineyards of Harbor Country, having an experienced planner by your side will make sure no detail regarding the local venues is missed.

Details, Timelines and Etiquette ...oh my!
With magic wand in hand, your planner is the fairy godmother of weddings. She not only offers valuable experience and advice in wedding etiquette, but also is key to keeping the wedding timeline moving. Who, what, when and how is the best way to address issues with out stirring up commotion? Every bride needs a liaison to keep emotions and relationships in check during the stress of wedding planning. In addition, timelines and checklists are an important key to keeping perfect pace to result in the perfect wedding. A planner will help you develop, orchestrate and keep track of all timelines and lists, with out missing a beat.

The Venue Event Manager
“When the event manager from your venue tells you they can do your wedding planning, they are not lying. They will do everything under the sun to oversee everything they are ‘responsible for’. However, they are ‘not responsible’ for 90% of the details that go into your wedding.” Venue managers are experts in their field, and are a valuable source of information when it comes to set-up and running their venues. However, when it comes to pulling together all of the other details that go into planning your wedding, some brides are shocked when things go wrong. “They thought their venue person would be on top of things. Not necessarily. If they have several events that day, they can’t be held responsible for letting you know your flowers haven’t arrived or your Best Man is held up in traffic. Imagine walking into a bald room instead of the floral intensive ballroom you paid for. Your wedding planner is your overseer. Their job is to make sure everything arrives on time and complete. If you have 15 tables, 13 centerpieces just won’t do. They will get the florist to fix it. If the videographer does not show up, they should be able to find a replacement for you. Things happen, but it is your wedding planner’s job to see that things are fixed and end up perfect”

Fabulous Not Frazzled
“Wedding planning and the events that lead up to your day will be stressful. You should have one job only, keeping yourself relaxed and living in the moment. You need time to take in and enjoy this special day. Be with your loved ones. Be happy. Be kind. And mostly, be assured that your wedding is going to be the most fabulous day of your life.Yes, all weddings have glitches. And yours will too. But your wedding planner will make sure you never have to deal with or see them. You may never even know anything out of the ordinary happened. And that is the sign that you are a genius at wedding planning. You started out with great ideas, hired a wedding planner to bring them to life, and sat back like a pampered princess on your wedding day accepting all the accolades that you deserve.”

(Excerpts and quotes from; Why to Hire a Wedding Planner by Luxurious Wedding Etiquette & Protocol Expert, Claudia Lutman)